Port-Au-Prince

[PurringPulsar]

Port au Prince

Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras.

 

In the imp: sweet, buttery, boozy almond.

Wet on skin: soap? I get a slight hint of soap, but underneath is the scent of cloves and bay rum.

Dry on skin: hmm. I'm not sure why this is happening, but I'm getting a white soapy floral scent from here, like washing detergent. It's not bad though. I'm a bit worried it may be something to do with the Lab's recent batch of almond note, as I got a similar effect from one recent bottle of Queen of Sheba (which shocked me, as non-soapy QoS is a favourite of mine!) but not from any of my older almond scents. I still get slight remainders of almond, and underneath is a gorgeous clove note with effervescent, slightly green and boozy bay rum. But I can't get over that odd soapy note!

After a while: other than that weird, soapy floral scent, I love the clove note in here…it's delicious and sweet and almost creamy. I can't get much of the rum now…I have no idea where the sassafras and bay are either. The scent now is a sweet vanilla clove soap scent. Not too bad, but not what I expected!

The vanilla-clove-soap scent stays like that and doesn't morph for duration of the scent.

Verdict: I think this would have been really lovely, creamy and spicy and lightly boozy-were it not for this out of place soap note that I encountered. I have no idea what it is, but my guess is that it may be a certain batch of almond note that may be soaping out on my skin. I hope it's not the case-since most almond scents do not turn soapy at all-and I have a lot of scents with almond that I love. But it's a similar reaction to what happened with a bottle of lab-fresh Queen of Sheba (a scent which I normally love and which doesn't usually soap out on me). So I'm wondering if that's the reason. But anyway, if it wasn't for the soap, the scent is a pleasant mix of boozy bay rum and sweet clove, drying down to creamy vanilla-clove. I will swap this imp for the reasons stated above, though, but I'd like to track down an older imp of Port au Prince to test my theory.

[brownbear]

yum The clove is very subtle under the buttery sassafras. The almond is also very understated. This reminds me of a bath bomb or something from lush, but I can't place it exactly. Someone mentioned bay rum and yeah there is quite a bit of a bay rum note in here. mmmmmmm I bet this would also smell great on a guy.

[Rock Goddess]

Port-Au-Prince was all buttered rum and almond at first, both in the imp and wet on my skin.

 

As it's dried down, it's become a sugary, sweet clove scent. With a hint of sassafrass lurking in the background. It's really nice - for some reason, it's strongly reminding me of my mom's Molasses Cookies. Which is kind of making me hungry.

 

I'm not sure it's an everday scent for me, but I'll hang on to the imp.

[n0thing]

Initially i get full on marzipan, maybe a bit of rum. Very very sweet.

 

When it dries though, all that vanishes. I get the cinnamon & clove combination i *loved* with Three Witches, but it's very salty too. I really like it, but it just doesn't last on me at all (would make a great big bottle for Christmas if this improves!)

[ajcj213499]

I was able to try this as a part of Quikslvr's GC Cicle Swap.

 

I really like this and definately need another imp to test and probably a bottle later.

 

I could smell the rum and the same almond from Eclipse in this. It smelled a little plastic on me at first but dried down really nicely. Later the clove came out and Port-Au-Prince ended up being a nice, slightly sweet, spicy oil.

 

This would be great for fall/winter.

[Nekomata]

Wet: Buttery rum and almonds, reminds me of german roasted nuts.

Dry: Pretty much the same,the rum gets a bit stronger and the sweetness fades a little.

:9

[moonarcana]

reviewed courtesy of Quikslver's GC circle swap

 

 

Port Au Prince

 

first sniff: spicy (clove, cinnamon - all those woody bark type of spices) and slightly tropical

 

tested wet: like chewing on cinnamon toothpicks after the HOT spice of the cinnamon is gone.

 

tested dry: definite clove now - not sweet, but dry and spicy.

 

conclusion: Nice smell - I like it...enough to get an imp, but probably not a bottle.

 

3/5

Edited June 16, 2006 by moonarcana

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

Brian reviewed this two whole years ago (we've been at this BPAL obsession for awhile...), so I didn't. However, it's become his signature scent, and I feel like reviewing it!

 

Port-au-Prince represents everything that is right and good about BPAL. It's sexy, spicy, and very rich. It's unisex, but maybe especially fantastic on a guy because it's so different from any commercial "guy" scent. It's also the "greatest hits" scent out of Brian's box of foody-boozy imps--it has the pirate rum of Jolly Roger, the sassafras of Tombstone, and the warm sugared "yum" of Snake Oil...but the sum total is better than any of those. Warm, complex, spicy-sweet but not at all gooey or cloying, and the bay gives the tiniest edge of herbal. I love smelling it and find it very comforting--like a hug from a strong but gentle guy.

[Natch]

in the bottle: ugh! Am I the only one who gets something rancid and awful from this bottle? I can smell the spices, and the buttered rum, and all that good ness underneath... but something is combining with to make my nose think this is puke worthy

 

wet: a little better, but still grossly overpowering for me. The buttery rum comes out and smells nice and I think I get something butterscotchy too, but this one still isn't agreeing with me.

 

dry: This improves on the dry down, but it's still not for me. The spiciness has come out, and whatever was smelling gross before doesn't attack me, but is still there a little bit. Like, this smells so good, with butter and almonds and spices, but there is an unidentified smell underneath... like a musk gone wrong or something which comes out and attacks me.

 

overall impression: I think my nose has an odd sensitivity to something in this scent. I don't know what. Anyway, this was a frimp, so no great loss... and if it did work, I see it as a bit more masculine anyway. I can definitely see this scent being spicy, buttery, and delicious, but something in my nose just goes "NO! you are not allowed to like this" and it gives me a little bit of a headache

[Eunice]

This smells strongly of sassafrass which I just do not like. The buttered rum is there but is mostly overpowered by the sassafrass. I can't help it, I just do not like this one.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Dirty, stale rum.

 

On me: Rum! And then the cloves come out full force! Wow, I feel like I've just smoked a clove cigarette with the lovely way it smells. The alcoholic smell is gone... this is almost like a Clove single note on me, though I can definitely a hint of the rum and bay leaves in the background

 

Verdict: A keeper simply because of the strong clove smell. Totally bottleworthy!

 

Rating: 5/5

[filigree_shadow]

I really like this oil -- at first the almond is strong, the clove is barely there, and the whole thing is buttery and soft. Then it morphs into a smooth clove scent. It's rich and full, and it definitely smells decadent. It has very good throw and lasts quite a while, too.

[edenssixthday]

When I opened the bottle, I was almost overwhelmed by the almondy sweetness of Port-au-Prince. Now, I normally don't want anything to do with anything scented or flavored with almond. But there was just something about it that made me want to try it on my skin. As soon as it touched my skin, the spicyness of the various notes rose into predominance and the sweet almond scent wasn't nearly as overwhelming. The clove and sassafras (and I'm positive cinnamon and pepper?!) combined with the light butter rum and almond sweetness makes me think of Christmas in the Islands. Carribean Island, that is. This scent really surprises me because I can't usually wear most of the notes in it, but somehow, it is really beautiful on me, and I find it incredibly enticing. I love how BPAL often surprises me like that! I will be back for more!

[juniperus]

Bottle: butter rum - reminds me of Spooky.

Wet: the same, with a hint of almond beginning to make an appearance ...but not the very sweet cherry-almond I get from Hecate at first, this is a warm, toasted almond..

Dry: sassafras coming out to play, and a hint of clove. sweet and spicy and mysterious. I can almost taste it with each sniff, and it's more visually evocative than I expected it might be - I can see heat shimmering up from the pavement, the bright sun and blue sky, and colors of the marketplace as I smell the scents of mid-day.

Later: the sweet has receded enough to allow the spices to really shine - this is really wonderful. Not quite me (not that it's mine), but it's sure nice on my skin...and if Da Boy gets the spice and not the booze he'll smell very yummy, indeed.

(This was bought for Colin 'cause the sassafras in Tombstone smells soo nice on him, and his reaction was: "uh HUH!" said very emphatically while smiling and head-nodding. He did, however, opt for Sonoma Buddahwood on his little wrists today, he is really interested in all of my woody imps, so clearly we have a preference appearing.)

[forspecial_plate]

Not much for me to add that hasn't already been said...very pleasant, sweet spicy almond with clove flirting in and out. For me this was gone within 4 hours. I love almond, and this has more depth than Demeter Almond (which is also sweet and a little smokey), but somehow I've come to expect more. This will probably be a freebie I can use when I eventually begin to swap. Someone else will enjoy it more than me.

[eoifemacbeth]

It's official: Weird Chemistry Week has come to play.

 

I wasn't getting any of that sweet, spicy, rum butter scent that everyone is writing about. I got knocked off my feet when I opened the imp and nearly passed out when it was on my skin. Noooo thank you. Off to the swaps you go.

[storme]

In the imp: hello I am MARZIPAN, bow down before me.

 

On me, wet: marzipan and - ah, clove bursting through, followed by sweet rich alcohol. This is like a really decadent cake mix.

 

On me, dry: The sassafras comes through and mingled nicely with the clove and the rum, but I smell no bay and the almonds have more or less vanished. It's a completely different scent to the imp, which still smells like marzipan to me.

 

Verdict: Way way nicer than I feared from the imp, and far more what I would associate with the area, but I think Laudanum is a better sassafras-y scent for me personally. Still, I might keep it around to prove to myself that there's *one* BPAL piratey scent that works on my skin.

[czuba]

Procured: Frimp

 

In Imp: Butter, rum, and a bite of spices

 

On skin, wet: Sweet cloves

 

On skin dry: warm, nutty, and spicey

 

Will be saving this for the fall.

[smallvoice]

I got this as a birthday frimp! Thanks DLS!

 

In the imp it was almond with a hint of booze. A little buttery and a little sweet. Hmm.

 

On me: The almond fades and the spices come out to play. Dude! I didn't read through all the reviews, but does anybody else get the gorgeous spice from Shub out of this? Because that's exactly what I'm smelling on my arm. It's just the spice without the musk backdrop, but it's so shocking to smell it that I am in instant love with this one. As it dries down, the booze/butter/almond fades away entirely and leaves only the Shub spice. This is gorgeous!

[Miseraya]

Hmm, my reaction to this was very different from the reviews I read...

 

In the imp: On first sniff I get a smell very similar to Shub in it's gingerbread-ness, but with something sharper behind it. Yummy. Hopefully the clove in this will leave me alone. Fear the clove! So far so good.

 

On the wrist, wet: Again, gingerbread cookies and something very sharp. This is definitely a spice smell, I get cinnamon (possibly nutmeg?), ginger and clove, but only a hint of clove (thankfully). Much more foody than I was expecting, but with... booze. I think that sharp smell is rum maybe (after reading the description I am sure it's the bay, bay does terrible things on my skin, or vice versa).

 

On the wrist, dry: The sharp smell (bay) never fades enough on me. Now I want to invent gingerbread cookie rum drinks! But alas, bay and I do not get along.

 

Final Analysis: The clove in this didn't punch me in the nose like it usually does (avid clove loathe here) but the bay did. Alas, bay and I have issues to work through. All in all, it was tasty smelling, but I am not a food scented sort of girl anyway. Off to the swaps.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Slightly boozy almond.

 

Wet: Almond and booze, as well as herbs.

 

Drydown: The almond fades away, leaving sort of fizzy spices behind, and booze. After a while I definitely get clove and I think bay. There's a sort of baked goods scent here, that could be the sassafras. The bay gets much stronger, it's the backdrop for the clove and sassafras, and possibly some butter. It's nearly foody, the cake scent becomes more and more obvious.

 

Overall: This smells very much like a kind of boozy spicy cake, but it smells rather dry and even burnt, probably from the sassafras and clove. It still has a bit of a fizzy powder smell to it that I can't trace. I'm really not into foody blends, so I don't think I'd wear it, but it certainly has a "decadent pudding" kind of smell to it.

[ND¢]

For the sake of thoroughness, I have Old Port-Au-Prince.

 

In the bottle: Light and sharply of sassafras, I think.

 

Got a good bit of sassafras/clove (evocative of Big Red). I can see the bay, too. It reminded me of my reaction to Jack: so strongly asserting the smells that they almost seemed like imitations. Waiting for some dissipation to see how that progresses, it... stays prominent. I think I'd have gone for bay/clove without the sassafras, because the latter two seem to overpower each other on me. I'm not picking up rum on me. Or butter.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i loathe almond...

 

impsniff: almonds

 

skinsniff, wet: spiced almonds -- almost like the vendors at street fairs and renfest

 

skinsniff, dry: gingersnaps! yay, the almond went away! cinnamon-gingery-spice cookies with a rum-butter hard sauce.

 

not sweet or foody enough, really, but quite yummy! i never woulda guessed i'd like this. the lab amazes me yet again [=

[karikazo]

Wow, this one is strong. Unfortunately it has the sour/burnt smell that Gingerbread Poppet had on me, too--must be some spice that doesn't work well. It also has the strong-fake-butter smell that Sugar Cookie did on me. Not a good blend for me. Fortunately there are other almond, spice, and sassafrass blends that are great on me, so it's not the end of the world.

[maijasu]

Mmmm, spicy and delicious, boozy and slightly sweet. I love this! It doesn't last long on me, but it's worth reapplying. I have a few spicy scents coming to me already, but this is definitely one I'd eventually like a bottle of. It would smell great on my husband too!